


Oath Sign

by ForestOfTheFae (AtlantianLights)



Category: Fate/Zero
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-31 10:24:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1030586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlantianLights/pseuds/ForestOfTheFae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilgamesh summons Arturia as her Master for the Fifth Fuyuki City Holy Grail War.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vermillion

The red glow of the summoning circle faded to black in the closed building, and darkness permeated the musky shed. His breaths remained baited in spite of his intentions. He couldn't see a thing at the moment, and he listened so carefully for a noise, any kind of noise that would signal something. The darkness remained silent except for the shifting of fabric on the dusty, grimy floor. Unable to bear any more waiting and having no patience to begin with, the man lit his candle with the thing Kirei called a "match."

It was dim, hardly enough to see anything by, and yet it cast a glow across the room and allowed him to see the pile of fabric that would, hopefully, be his king of knights. He lit yet more candles, the flickering gradually lighting the room up as he kept his back turned, waiting for the gasp of horror that was sure to come. Perhaps she would even try to kill him. He subconsciously glanced down at the command spells on his hand. Would he have to use one?

And yet, as he lit the last pillar of wax, there was still nothing. Unable to contain himself, he turned to glance back at her. She was easily visible now on the candle-lit floor, curled gracefully inside the summoning circle and… Was she really asleep? He raised a golden brow, incredulous. How could she possibly be sleeping? Then panic struck him, an emotion that did not suit the king of heroes. Had the summoning gone wrong? He had recited the words that Kirei had taught him. He had practiced for years now, ten to be exact, and there was no one better prepared than he.

He could not contain his impatience, and left his candles to kneel inside the circle, gazing down at the face that his form cast shadows upon. Her face was gentle, more relaxed than he had ever seen her. Her wispy blond hairs were a frightful mess, just as he had last seen her on that night ten years ago. It was pure instinct for him to reach out and touch her cheek with his hand. After all, what were women for? Touching, feeling… women were beings of softness and tenderness. Or rather, they were supposed to be. This was how they fit into Gilgamesh's neatly organized and simplified world.

She woke with a start as his fingertips brushed along her cheekbones. He had time to register how her cheekbones rose higher than the girls of Babylon before she was inhaling, sputtering with wild green eyes that recognized him on contact. He leaned back, easily dodging the hand that seemed to be attracted to his cheek.

"You-!" Her voice was hoarse but strong, surprise evident. She seemed ready to draw her legendary sword at any moment. He had to stall this.

"I see that a decade of sleep has done nothing to quell the king of knights' hate for me."

She stopped then, and he watched as her eyes took in their closeness. They raked over him, how he knelt so close and how his hair hung loose. How his armor was nowhere to be found, replaced instead by an elegant tuxedo. He was not dressed for battle.

"There is no hate in me for you, king of heroes."

She finally answered him with that, looking away with those eyes like emeralds. His confident, smug smirk replaced the unsure look on his features. He waited, withdrawing his hand so that he could rock back on his heels, balancing as he watched her take in her surroundings.

"This place… is Irisviell's old shed. How did you find this place? Why are you here?"

Gilgamesh would not normally deign to answer the questions of anyone, not even his woman's, but this time was an exception. Being summoned as a heroic spirit was always confusing.

"Kirei found it. Need I explain? This was your base-of-operations last time, right? I summoned you here."

Arturia's eyes grew wide and when she answered him, her tone was one of panic. "Wh-What?! How is that even possible?!"

Gilgamesh's answering smirk was quite victorious, one of pure egocentricity. Nothing had changed about him in the past decade. "I don't have to explain myself to you, my king of knights. It matters not how or why. All that does matter is that you are here now, and you are mine."

Her own answering look was one of disbelief and defiance. "I won't." she said simply and quietly.

His nostrils flared. "Oh, but you will. You see, my queen, t have had ten years to think this through. Ten years while you slept away." His red eyes seemed to harden now, glinting dangerously in the candle light. "This… arrangement will be quite fruitful for the both of us. You see… You get the grail, and I…. I get you."

Silence reigned over the dank shed then, green eyes staring incredulously and calculatingly up at stern, determined, red ones. Finally the king of knights made movement, pushing herself to her feet within the faintly glowing circle, brushing her hands off on her already-dusty skirts.

"I do not know whether to believe you or not, Archer." Her eyes said she wanted to. Gilgamesh was not one to disillusion himself. He would not make something up to suit his own tastes, and he knew that she wanted the Grail more than anything else in this world. He had worked this out and was now using it to his advantage. She would know that her best chances of getting the artifact would be himself and Kirei, no matter how much she may hate the two of them.

Still, the silence threatened to ruin his patience. Why must she make him wait so? She should just fall into the arms of her king and embrace him as her master. The thought of it brought him happiness, and so he amused himself as such as the silence dragged on.

"King of knights. You have been summoned to this, the fifth holy grail war, to serve as the servant to Gilgamesh, king of heroes and future conqueror of this world. Serve me, my queen, and I will promise you the Grail."

"You need not repeat yourself!" She spat this almost viciously, conflict raging in her eyes. "I am no man's queen. I am Arturia Pendragon, King of Knights and rightful ruler of Great Britain. I will not be treated as a mere _girl_. I am a man."

Gilgamesh spent about a second in silence, patience snapped, and then he was moving, grabbing the defiant woman by the chin and forcing her to look up at him. "Arturia Pendragon, you may call yourself king of knights all you may like, but you belong to me and me alone now. There is but one person in this world worthy of gazing upon your beauty, and that is me. And I am Gilgamesh, son of Lugalbanda and Rimat-Ninsun, ruler of Uruk and the only one who is entitled to the treasure of this world. You are one such treasure, and that makes you _mine._ Submit to me, so that I may behold your true glory. Together, Arturia, we could claim the Grail. You, for your wish, and me, for my treasury. Rule by my side. Submit to me. I _demand_ it of thee."

She was shocked into silence by his proximity, his fierce and possessive words. This amount of emotion seemed to be unusual for the man, this Archer that she had come to know through battle over the course of a few weeks. Her pride was injured, wanting to lash out at him for stealing the Grail away last time and now demanding for her to work for _him_. It wasn't right! She had worked so hard, taken so many wounds and seen so much happen. She had lost Irisviell and suffered because of this damn war, and now he was asking her to do it again! She had suffered and suffered and suffered time and time again and all for nothing in the end because of him and Kiritsugu and Kirei. It was almost enough to drive someone mad and it would have if not for the sleep. The sleep that she had been plunged into as the waters of the grail had poured in on top of her and this man who was standing in front of her right now, with those stupidly stubborn eyes and his stupid tuxedo that looked so much like the one that Irisviell had given her.

And then she was avoiding his stupid red gaze because _goddammit_ , why did it have to be him? Was he the only one worthy of her begrudging trust left out of the pool of people she had grown to know in this world? Irisviell, Rider, Lancer, Waver… even if they were not dead, they were out of reach now. Besides that, he had summoned her. That made him the master in this relationship, and she did not have the power to resist him to the degree of gaining her freedom. She would _need_ him. She shuddered at the very thought.

She could not supply her own mana. That was his part of the deal. Therefore, she couldn't kill him.

"I will not submit to thee." She said defiantly, raising her gaze to his once more as she spoke dryly, obstinate. "I will, however, become your servant, Gilgamesh. If only for the Grail." Arturia still sought to erase the past. Of course.

He looked so triumphant when she said it. His chin tilted upward and he stepped forward again, shoes leaving prints in the dust that had settled on the floors. He held out his hand, admiring the red symbol on the back. It was a strange version of a cross wrapped in what looked like ribbons of red. She took his hand, spoke the words, and their contract was done.

Arturia Pendragon was _his._


	2. Indigo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gilgamesh offers Saber a deal she can not refuse.

Gilgamesh surveyed his hand again, eyes keen on the marks that wrapped around the golden skin of his wrist and arm. The symbol was there in the darkness, seemingly dipped in the darkest red against the outline of his hand. The light streaming through the slits in the blinds was barely enough to see by, and yet his eyes discerned the most minute details in the darkness. The large room was covered from wall to wall in a soft blue carpet. His eyes took in the scene after a moment. His opponent sat across the room from him, dressed in a man’s suit with her hair pulled back in a rather severe looking bun. The whole ensemble clashed together ridiculously; a masculine outfit and feminine hair, and yet, as he watched her discreetly reading the spines of the books that lined the walls, he found that it suited her.

The entire reason he had summoned her was in the back of his mind, threatening to dart out from the thoughts he was using to keep it at bay. He did not want to think about any of his feelings for the sharp female across the room from him. He was hopelessly trying to convince himself that the only stirrings she gave him were those of lust and desire.

Arturia, meanwhile, felt anything but at ease in this place. After her rather rough reintroduction into the world of the living, her master had led her from Iri’s old shed and out to the street. There was a limousine waiting for them there, and Arturia had stayed silent the entire ride, pointedly sitting in the farthest seat from him and staring out the window, thinking of the streets she had rode with Irisviell in another life. The ride was long, and soon Arturia found herself nodding off against the window. A firm shake of her shoulder and a masculine voice told her they had arrived. Her green eyes were alert immediately, and she shrugged his hand off easily, though carefully. Saber did not wish to provoke the anger of her newest Master, and so she stuck close to his side despite her inner rebellion at the concept.

He had led her to this room and sank into the chair behind that monstrosity of a desk, placing his feet up on the heavy mahogany and commanding his servant in a sneering voice to “fetch the lady some tea.” Saber had merely blinked demurely at the provocation and eased gratefully into the chair offered to her by the man as he scurried from the room. Neither of them spoke in the silence that followed the gentle sound of the door closing, and after several minutes of it, she started to wonder what could be wrong with the King of Heroes. He had never been too talkative, but they were alone and he had always enjoyed provoking her.

The silence dragged on until Saber finally turned back to him, catching him staring. Her eyes widened minutely, but her cheeks remained pale and her gaze stayed level with his crimson one. Her voice finally resounded through the room; it had been over a half of an hour and she was growing tired of the silence.

“King of Heroes, how did you come to find yourself in need of the grail?”

“I do not need the grail,” he said, tone egotistical as ever. “It is you that needs that infernal chalice, and it is I who shall possess both you and it.”

“Whatever makes you think that?” she asked, leaning forward in her chair and pinning him with her gaze.

“Need we go over this again, King of Heroes? I refuse to list my titles again. You are much too wordy, and it has been a long time since I have used such proper language or spoke to someone even close to my station. Shall I call you Arthur?” His words were smooth, calm on the surface, but lingering just underneath was the ill intent.

“Arturia. For me, it has been mere minutes since that night. It would be best if you did not test me, Gilgamesh.”  
“Arturia, then. The name has a strange taste on the tongue.”

The man rose and prowled around the desk, his armor disappearing in a flood of brilliant golden light to leave him in a tunic of white and khaki pants. Arturia sank back in her chair, her green eyes never leaving his crimson ones as he glided toward her across the ornate rug.

“It's the name my father gave me.” Her eyes seemed to glow in challenge, and Gilgamesh relished in the chance to enter her personal space, his form looming over hers as he bent to meet her gaze.   
“You're well aware of mine. I shall relish in hearing it spring from your lips when I take you for my wife.” His teeth flashed white in the gloom.

The woman actually had the audacity to laugh. “I can assure you, that will never happen!” 

His expression never changed despite the insinuation. “Ah, but why not? The grail in exchange for marriage to the most handsome man to ever walk the earth.” Their faces were only a few inches apart then. Her pale skin gave off heat in the cold room. He forced himself to back away from her, stalking back to his desk to lazily drop into his chair, slinging his legs over the arm.

“You're a king, right? Kings are supposed to be good at negotiating. So negotiate with me.”

Her glare would have made a lesser man back down. Nonetheless, his arrogance was a perfect match for her solidarity. He watched the slight hints of inner turmoil slide across her countenance, knowing that he had already won. She had already agreed to be his Servant. If she wanted to go back and save her ridiculous country, he would allow her to do so. She was his queen, and there would be nothing he would not give her. They sat in silence while she considered her options. 

“A marriage for my country. That is what this will be.” She was still trying to hold onto the shred of dignity that she had when she spoke at last, her green eyes a storm of anger and denial as she finally met his gaze again. “But only after we get the Grail.”

His eyes would have flashed in triumph had he not already been confident in his victory. “Agreed.”

At that moment, the butler finally reappeared with the tea. Gilgamesh waved him away, rolling his crimson eyes. He did not have the energy to reprimand the servant for taking so long; he had probably waited outside the door when he heard the subject of their argument. 

“I will show you to your rooms then, Arturia.” He let the word roll off his tongue like an endearment. He watched her closely, but she remained passive as he rose from his desk and rounded it once again. The offered arm, however, was too much for her. She rose, gesturing for him to lead the way. The denial annoyed him, and he took her hand and laid it on his arm, at once noticing her small yet rough palm against his skin. He knew that it must be from her swordplay, yet he immediately decided that his queen would be through with the activity once they were married. Women should have soft hands, like silk.

He nodded to the servant and they passed through the door into the candlelit hallway. The glossy hardwood floor was covered in part by a long, oriental rug. The paintings on the walls seemed to watch Arturia as they strode past, but the golden-haired king in front of her took no note of the stern countenances in each gilded frame. Up stairs and down corridors they went, and she began to wonder just how big the house was, and if in fact they were not in some sort of palace. The whole building was strongly influenced by Babylon, the Knowledge-That-Was-Not-Hers told her. The information that came with being a Servant was valuable, and somehow it felt strange and unwanted. In her mind, she could feel that she had known nothing of Babylon in her past life.

At last they reached a pair of doors, set into a door frame of a deep, dark wood. It was circular in shape, and the doors slid back into slots in the wood. The carvings in the wood depicted a scene unfamiliar to her eyes, and no knowledge came to the forefront of her mind concerning the pictures. In any case, she did not have much time to investigate the carvings. Gilgamesh's servant slid the doors aside and Gilgamesh led her into a darkened foyer. She heard the doors slide shut and lock behind them as he led her down the hall. How many doors they passed, she did not know. They reached another pair of ornate, circular doors which he paused to open. He led her through into a brighter room, and her eyes had to take a moment to adjust.

The door closed behind them, and Arturia could not help feeling that they had shut against her escape. The room that she had entered was large, its walls a deep crimson. Complicated tapestries hung from floor to ceiling, and a huge rug completely covered the open space. He paused to removehis shoes, and she quickly followed suit, her mind slowly processing each bit of information as it came. Gilgamesh had allowed her to remove her hand from his arm, and she took the opportunity to scout out the room while he pressed further in, her hands fumbling with the many buckles of her boots. 

On her left was a wall of bookcases containing scrolls and books. They covered every inch of space, and in the middle was a large hearth. A fire roared, its flames illuminating the overly-large room. The far wall was no wall at all, but a massive window. It drew her in, and she quickly crossed the room in her bare feet. Outside the glass was a city of light, Fuyuki in all of its glory. The grounds of the house-palace sprawled for acres, but beyond it, the buildings slowly grew and grew. On the horizon, skyscrapers towered in the night, their lights a multitude of stars. She was not sure how long she stood there, but eventually he came and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Beautiful, isn't it? This world has so much more to offer than in my time, or even yours.”

“It's not something that one man can possess, Gilgamesh.”

“If any one man could do it, it would be me.”

She shook her head then, and turned away from the dazzling lights and buildings. The monstrosity which she guessed to be a bed then called her attention, and she drifted towards it almost unwillingly. “I hope you do not intend for me to sleep with you tonight, Gilgamesh.”

“I would not dream of it.” She turned to see a smile playing across his lips as he came closer. He gripped her chin in his palm gently, leaning in close until his words could be felt as a breeze across her lips. “There is a door there, on the other side. See? That is the way to your quarters. You shan't have to sleep with me, but I will keep you close at hand.” 

Arturia's cheeks quickly flushed at what he was insinuating, and she almost ran around the bed to put some space between them. She glared at him then, her green eyes flashing dangerously at his ability to breach her walls. “I am no concubine, Gilgamesh,” she warned, her hands clenching into fists. “If I am your queen, it will be by marriage or not at all. And besides, until I have the Grail, there will be none of which you speak.” 

With that, she opened the door with trembling hands, forcing herself not to slam it behind her. Gilgamesh's chuckle was the last thing she heard before the wooden door slid into place.


End file.
